Dennis is a happy little six-year-old boy who wakes one morning to see his mother listening to the radio in the kitchen. Dennis can tell that something is wrong and that his mother is feeling sad — and maybe a little scared. She explains that something happened, a big storm moved through a town, and buildings were damaged and people were hurt. When she sees that this is making him feel nervous, she scoops him up and tells him that all the people on their street, in their neighborhood, and in their town want to make sure that he, Dennis, is safe.

“But you know what, Dennis?” his Mother asked, raising her eyebrows, “It is time for us to be the helpers. There are people that are feeling scared right now because a storm came to their house. Our house is fine and so are we. Are you ready to be a helper?”

This story is helpful for children who have experienced a natural disaster (and is inspired by a great Mr. Roger's quote).